Gospel Reflections #1040: When God finally makes it happen

2 Samuel 5:3 ‘All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. There, in the presence of the Lord, King David made a covenant with them. The elders anointed David and made him king over Israel.’

This passage records the historic and theological turning point when David became the unified king of all Israel in both name and reality. 

It depicts the scene where, following the death of King Saul, David—who had previously been king only of the tribe of Judah—was anointed as king over all twelve tribes, just as God had promised. Hebron was the principal city of the tribe of Judah and the place where David first became king.

The fact that the ‘elders of all Israel’, including those from the northern tribes, travelled there of their own accord demonstrates that David’s authority was publicly recognised. The covenant between David and the elders was not merely a political compromise or a deal.

It was a sacred promise made with God as the witness.

Here, the foundation for a God-centred nation was established: the king would rule the people according to God’s law, and the people would trust and obey the king. David had been secretly anointed by the prophet Samuel during his youth.

After enduring numerous trials and a life on the run, God’s promise was finally realised in a tangible form at this very moment.

Even after King Saul’s death, David did not attempt to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel by force.⁠

He patiently waited for God to prepare the circumstances and for the people’s hearts to turn to him of their own accord.

We are taught not to force things through human strength, but to wait in trust for the fulfilment of God’s promise.

The reason the divided tribes of the north and south were able to become one was not merely due to political leadership, but because they shared a common faith in the ‘covenant before the Lord’.

We may lack patience, but when we trust completely in God’s promise and entrust ourselves to Him, He grants us patience.

We are given the opportunity to truly realise that everything is God’s grace and a gift.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.